Weekly submissions from the 49th Missile Defense BN at Fort Greely, Alaska. This Alaska Army National Guard unit operates and secures the nation's operational arm of the balistic missile defense system.

ZAMBOANGA, Philippines- U.S. service members and supporting contractors from the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) Joint Test and Evaluation (JT&E) Program selected the Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines (JSOTF-P) as the location for a 30-day field test of newly developed civil information management procedures Jan. 15-Feb. 15.

Paratroopers with 2nd Brigade Combat Team have partnered with Italian soldiers and the Center of National Equipment to clear rubble from the streets of Port-au-Prince. The troopers are pulling security on the site and assisting with the removal, but the Italians have much better assets for the job. Troopers are trying to show the Italians how to work with the Haitian government and local police to secure the areas of rubble removal so the Italians can take control of the mission.

Presidio of Monterey, Calif. -- An hour-long program of information and entertainment in observance of Black History Month was conducted Feb. 17 at the Presidio of Monterey as part of the nationwide celebration throughout February of the contributions African Americans have made to the United States and the world.

In July 1970, the 101st Aviation Group, currently the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, was awarded the Valorous Unit Award in Thua Thein Province, Vietnam, for their success in extracting personnel and materiel from Fire Support Base Ripcord.

The Rangers rallied in the final minute of the game Tuesday at Kefurt Fitness Center to take a 40-38 win over the Red Dogs.
The Rangers of the 75th Ranger Regiment and the Red Dogs of 4th Battalion, 330th Infantry Regt., battled back and forth in the early minutes of the game until the Rangers' Bret Roberson broke the stalemate giving the Rangers their first lead of the game at 11-9 with eight minutes remaining in the first half. The Rangers held on to lead 18-14 at the half.

FORT BENNING, Ga. - Blair Tucker is looking forward to the return of her husband, SFC Jammie Tucker, currently deployed with the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team in Iraq. When he arrives for R&R in July, she'll be welcoming him to a brand new home in Patton Village.

Cyclists of all ages are invited to participate in Chasing the Cure, a short track cross-country mountain bike race March 6 at Flat Rock Park in Columbus.
The multi-lap race will include a wide-open single track, tight single track and a flat rock crossing. The race will have 17 classes from beginners to experts. The top three cyclists in each class will receive medals and prizes.

There's a new Master's Swim Club at Fort Benning that meets from 5:30 to 6:30 a.m. Mondays and Wednesdays at Briant Wells pool. The yearround club, which began in January, is open to Soldiers, civilians and family members ages 18 and older.
The club was created because of the high demand, said Katelyn McConnell, swim club coach.
"We had people coming to adult swim lessons on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Smith (Fitness Center) who didn't need help swimming, but said they just wanted a chance to swim," McConnell said.
SGM(R) George Gurrola, who works with the Soldier Requirements Division, said he was excited when he found out there would be a Master's Swim Club on post, he said. Gurrola said he is participating in two full-length ironman triathlons, three half ironman triathlons, and an Olympic distance competition this year.

WAHIAWA, Hawaii - The Outdoor Recreation Center's Freshwater Fishing Tournament attracted a small number of military and civilian personnel, here, to the shores of Lake Wilson, where seasoned anglers tried their luck at snaring the longest game fish in the inaugural tag-and-release event, Jan. 30.

More than 100 Soldiers and Cadets braved the cold, rain and wind over the course of two weeks to participate in the Fort Benning Maneuver Center of Excellence Pistol and Rifle Championships Feb. 3-11, hosted by the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit.
"The USAMU is extremely proud to host these championships," USAMU commander LTC Daniel Hodne said. "Competitions like this are very rare in the U.S. Army. They all had a great opportunity to train with the absolute best shooters and marksmanship instructors in the world and employ their skills in competition."

<b>What is it' </b>
The Army's antiterrorism (AT) program protects Army communities against terrorist acts. Family members represent a special group included within our protection efforts. During the 3rd quarter, fiscal year 2010 (Q3/FY10,) the Army's AT awareness theme focuses on enhancing family awareness about the indicators of possible terrorist activity and how to report suspicious behavior.

FORT BENNING, Ga. (Feb. 19, 2010) - Basic training is designed to teach Army recruits the basic skills of a Soldier. The nine-week course pits them against both physical and mental obstacles and gives them the self-confidence to become the Army's future leaders. But for family members, friends and future recruits, what happens in basic training can feel like a mystery. In our nine-week series, we will follow the transition from civilian to Soldier of basic training recruits with C Company, 2nd Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment, 192nd Infantry Brigade.

Fort Sam Houston, TX (February 18, 2010) : A six member team from U.S. Army South is on the way to Haiti in support of Operation Unified Response to help facilitate the return of Soldiers and equipment currently deployed there. The team includes civilian and three Soldiers from the Provost Marshal's Office, and two Soldiers from the U.S. Army South Special Troops Battalion.

BUFFALO--More than 300 family members, public officials, veterans and friends from the community turned out to the Connecticut Street Armory here for a send off ceremony for members of the New York Army National Guard's 152nd Engineer Support Company.
Eighty members of the Buffalo-based unit are joining other troops from the communities of Horseheads and Walton to deploy to Afghanistan as part the 827th Engineer Company.
This will be the second overseas deployment for about 25 percent of the unit. The unit is comprised of various tradesmen, college students, public and private employees from the region.
The unit's primary mission for Operation Enduring Freedom will be to build roads in the rugged and undeveloped regions of Eastern Afghanistan.
During his remarks, the unit commander, Capt. Jeffrey Miles praised his soldiers hard work in preparing the mission as well as their performance during past state emergencies in the region including the floods which struck Western New York last August.

FORT SILL, Okla. - Lake Elmer Thomas Recreation Area has 10 new cabins available to reserve beginning at the end of March. The cabins will be used by units one weekend a month for off-site retreats to enhance family wellness.

FORT SILL, Okla. - According to the chief of pharmacy, the pharmacy at Reynolds Army Community Hospital handles two to three times more traffic than any retail pharmacy. They fill a minimum of 1,200-1,300 prescriptions a day and see 500-600 patients a day.

Life may get a little "ruffer" (rougher) for pet owners on Fort McPherson and Fort Gillem with the scheduled reduction of services offered by the Fort McPherson Veterinary Treatment Facility. The facility will cease offering diagnosis, vaccines, heartworm tests and the sale of pet products after Wednesday, said Capt. Margaret Carl, doctor of veterinary medicine and clinic officer in charge. The reduction of services is due to the upcoming closure of Fort McPherson in September 2011 as part of BRAC.

The STTC Combat Medical Card Game has been deployed to joint service medical units operating in Haiti. The game is used for "hip pocket training" by combat medics during after duty hours and mission lulls. The game is used to "refresh" critical combat life saving skills by providing a lost-cost training aid that is easily distributed and transported into remote combat areas and austere operating areas in support of Army humanitarian missions.

A civil affairs team from U.S. Army Special Operations Command along with United Nations officials and non-governmental organizations helped facilitate the distribution of food and medical aid Feb. 13 for more than 380 families from the Haitian city of Hinche.

For months we've been enduring shortened hours of daylight and colder temperatures. The past few weeks have given us prolonged periods of rain and several bouts of snow. And the first day of spring is still a full month away. It's enough to give you the blahs.

Purim is a celebration observed one month before Passover on the 14th day of the Jewish month of Adar II. This year, the Fast of Esther will be Thursday and Purim Feb. 28. Jews around the world will observe these two days, mentally preparing for Passover.

Love hurts. So does running more than three miles in the bitter cold, but neither of these two facts kept 90 people from celebrating Valentine's Day in the typical Army way: by running a 5-km race. On Feb. 11, the Fort McPherson Directorate of Family Morale, Welfare and Recreation staff held a Valentine's Day 5-km race to celebrate the holiday.

Fort Drum and Lean Six Sigma program officials recently took time to recognize employees whose efforts resulted in $5.6 million in savings and cost avoidance (a measure of efficiency improvements) generated by the program during fiscal year 2009.

Guest speaker for the Black History Month observance was Kent Bolke, Fort Drum Historical Collection curator. He spoke about the brave struggle of "Triple Nickel" Soldiers of the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, which was an all-black airborne unit of the U.S. Army during World War II.

Near the end of 2009, the unit submitted information for the Lt. Gen. Ellis D. Parker Award, the Army Award for Maintenance Excellence, and the Army Aviation Association of America's Logistics Support Unit of the Year in their respective categories.

SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii - Army Hawaii Family Housing officials are hoping to see more Soldiers and their family members out at resident forums in the coming months, as the informational meeting - which, in large part, helps new military personnel adjust to life in Hawaii - begins its first full year of operation.

The 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment "Tigersharks," a battalion
that recently moved to Fort Drum from Fort Stewart, Ga., received an official welcome here as a unit of the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade during an uncasing ceremony Feb. 5 in a hangar at Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield.

Sgt. George Cloy's reentry into downhill skiing came nearly 20 years after his last run down a slope, and this time he was relearning to ski in phases while accommodating neck, back, shoulder and leg injuries. Cloy, a Warrior with Alpha Company, was one of four Warriors with the Warrior Transition Battalion, along with two spouses and two occupational therapy staff members, who went to Whistler, Canada, Jan. 22 to 25 to participate in adaptive skiing.

Command Sgt. Maj. Michael W. Williams, Joint Force Headquarters National Capital Region / U.S. Army Military District of Washington, talked with ROTC Cadets from Howard University about the command as well as being a senior Noncommissioned Officer.

The goal of the daylong event was to bring together dental professionals from around the area to enjoy some camaraderie, as well as to sharpen dental skills and knowledge with some of the latest information in various fields of dentistry.

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America, young Cub Scouts from Fort Drum's Pack 26 marched out of Hays Hall last week alongside Soldiers of 2nd Brigade Combat Team's flag detail to help fire the cannon and lower the flag during the retreat.

REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. -- It's difficult for Col. James Rentz to talk about his impending retirement.
After 30 years of challenging assignments, engaging command opportunities and rewarding professional relationships, trading in the green suit for civilian attire can seem rather daunting for a career Soldier.
But, for Rentz, it's not so much a change in careers that is stressful and worrisome. Rather, it's saying farewell to an Army that has been pretty much his life since graduating as a Quartermaster Corps officer from the Citadel in 1980 and to an organization - the Logistics Support Activity -- that has provided him the opportunity to work in his "dream job." On Friday, he will officially retire during a 1 p.m. ceremony in Bob Jones Auditorium.

Developed by the Battle Command Knowledge System, the four-week Army Knowledge Management Qualification Course prepares Soldiers to fill knowledge management roles throughout the Army, including KM sections at the division, corps and theater Army level. Military graduates of the course are awarded a Skill Identifier/Additional Skill Identifier of 1E, Knowledge Management Professional.

REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. -- In a little less than a week, Garrison commander Col. Bob Pastorelli will be showing his boss -- the commander of the Army's Installation Management Command -- why Redstone Arsenal and its Garrison employees are among the best in the Army.
And, oh, what a show he will be able to present.

Two childhood friends from Jamaica are reunited more than 20 years later in Kansas as officers and students in Intermediate Level Education class 2010-02 at Fort Leavenworth's Command and General Staff College.
Maj. Radgh Mason, an infantry officer in the Jamaica Defence Force, and Maj. Hugh Charles-Walters, a U.S. Army artillery officer, grew up together one street apart in the Cooreville Gardens community of Kingston, but lost contact with each other after high school.

Fort Belvoir's Echo Company, 169th Engineer Battalion hosted another blood collection Friday in conjunction with the Armed Services Blood Program. Soldiers in the company donate to ASBP every nine weeks or every other month.

FORT BELVOIR, Va. - Lt. Gen. James H. Pillsbury, deputy commanding general, U.S. Army Materiel Command, will moderate the panel discussion, "Resetting the Force While Conducting Responsible Draw Down" at the annual Association of the United States Army's Winter Symposium and Exposition at the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center Feb. 25.

FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kan. - Soldiers from Fort Leavenworth visited and shared stories with earlier generations of service members as part of the National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans Feb. 11 at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Leavenworth, Kan.

Aileen Cole, a graduate of Washington, D.C.'s Freedman Hospital School of Nursing, always considered herself a pioneer. As one of the first black Army Nursing Corps nurses, she was always eager to serve. She received her nursing certificate in 1917 after three years' study.

FORT BELVOIR, Va.- The U.S. Army Materiel Command will showcase a plethora of new technologies that directly support the warfighter during the Association of the United States Army Winter Symposium and Exposition Feb. 24-26 at the Broward County Convention Center, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

With flashing cameras and blinding spotlights all around, nominees of the 82nd Annual Academy Awards braved the media during the 29th Academy Awards Nominee Luncheon at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Feb. 15.

The RQ-11 Raven miniature unmanned aerial vehicle provides Iraqi troops on the ground quick, accurate aerial surveillance to support operations and assess potential threats.
With a 6-mile range and the ability to see over a large area, forces on the ground can use the information to maneuver, locate targets and gain intelligence vital to their mission.

HEIDELBERG, Germany - Recent financial cuts to the budget for the Army's continuing education system have hit education centers in Europe, but despite the changes, employees are learning to do more with less and remain focused on making sure that every customer that walks through their doors is helped.

A Joint Forces Special Operations Component Command civil affairs team assigned to St. Marc is achieving success in strengthening the network of non-governmental organizations, MINUSTAH and Government of Haiti members that will continue to operate as the U.S. military reduces its role.

Black History month is celebrated in the United States and throughout the world on military installations in February. For this year's celebration, the Department of Defense turns to the future with the theme of "Reaching Out to Youth: A Strategy for Excellence."
Reaching out to youth of all races and backgrounds is what the U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern's Equal Opportunity Officer Terri Guy does when she gets the chance - any month - for many years.

A Joint Forces Special Operations Component Command civil affairs team assigned to St. Marc is achieving success in strengthening the network of non-governmental organizations, MINUSTAH and Government of Haiti members that will continue to operate as the U.S. military reduces its role.

Don Gwinn doesn't want to see them in his office later, so he faces the audience, walking back and forth, and up and down the middle aisle, determined to make eye-contact with hundreds of students.
"(Loss prevention briefings) are a proactive effort to get the word out to the kids and let them know what the ramifications are for shoplifting," said Gwinn, the U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern's civilian misconduct officer, who handles reported cases of crimes committed by U.S. Army-affiliated civilians receiving logistical support within the Kaiserslautern military community.

Selecting the right mobile phone carrier and plan while living overseas can be challenging for U.S. personnel. Mobile phone contracts can cost customers big money, especially when there is a language barrier and a misunderstanding occurs between a customer and sales representative.

Mobile District and Afghanistan Engineer District-North develop a design to solve many problems. Water towers to support Afghan National Police stations use prefab parts, basic materials and simple assembly - and can be transported by donkey through AfghanistanAca,!a,,cs mountainous terrain.

Chaplains lead Soldiers and Family members around the world in a celebration of Ash Wednesday. Ocurring forty-six days before Easter and marking the first day of Lent, ashes are usually placed in the sign of the cross as a sign of repentance.

A sister depot in the Lone Star State is supporting operations here as Anniston Army Depot prepares to take part in Army Materiel Command's third and final deployment cycle of the Logistics Modernization Program.

In 2009, two timber sales were held at Anniston Army Depot, bringing $79,040.73 to the U.S. Army General Fund Budget Clearing Account, which is managed by Defense, Finance and Accounting Services. Another two sales are currently in progress in the Ammunition Limited Area and have already brought in $20,000 in 2010.

HEIDELBERG, Germany - An Army-wide safety campaign to "Fight the Risk" is behind the handlebars of a new motorcycle safety course being held in Europe to increase safety knowledge of military sport bike riders.
U.S. Army Garrison Livorno's Camp Darby in Italy was the first location in Installation Management Command-Europe this year to offer the Military Sport Bike Rider Courses - MSRC - Feb. 19, according to officials.

In 1946, 18-year-old Charles Stevens enlisted in the Army to provide a better life for his wife and new baby. He trained to be a medical administrator and was sent to Alaska for his first assignment in an all-black battalion.